"They were probably gifts brought directly here by Zheng He on his voyage."

In 1405, following Yongle's edict, Chinese mariner Zheng He led his giant fleet to set off on his maiden overseas voyage. By 1433, seven such expeditions had been made to reach regions as far from China as the Red Sea and eastern Africa. Historical documents show his fleet arrived in the Hormuz Strait during the fourth, fifth and sixth voyages.

"But we cannot rule out the possibility that local diplomatic delegates went to China with Zheng He and brought some royal gifts back," Wang adds. "More samples and follow-up research are needed to make this clear."

Also, more than 10 pieces of celadon produced at the Longquan kilns in today's Zhejiang province have been found in al-Mataf. They echo the historical records that say Longquan celadons and blue-and-white porcelain ware were two main Chinese ceramics exports at that time.

Chinese ceramics were valued by locals in the ancient port of Jurfa.

"Wear marks on ceramic pieces suggest the vessels were used daily for one century before breaking," he says. "Probably, they were inherited by generations within families."

Picture of trade

Tibor Paluch, the leading Emeriti archaeologist in the joint excavation with Wang's team, says Chinese ceramics found in Ras al-Khaimah cover a time span from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), according to discoveries made since archaeological research began in the region in 1977.